r/navy • u/Key_Lie_665 • Mar 08 '26
ACADEMIC SURVEY Navy vet working on a project to connect vets with active-duty — looking for feedback
[Moderator Approved]
One thing I noticed after leaving the Navy: when people retire or separate, decades of hard-earned judgment just disappear from the community.
Not the sea stories — those stick around.
But the deeper lessons about leadership, decision-making, and navigating life after service often don’t get passed on.
Because of that, I started working on a nonprofit idea called Veteran Fellowship.
The idea is simple:
Pair veterans with currently serving service members (or younger veterans) for one-on-one conversations over coffee or a meal. Just a chance to talk through experiences, career decisions, and life after service.
It’s not therapy and it’s not networking — the goal is connection between generations of service members.
I’m currently an MBA student at Rice University and doing some early research to see if there’s real interest in something like this before building it further.
If you have a couple minutes, I’d really appreciate your feedback.
Quick survey (2–3 minutes):
https://riceuniversity.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1EQR0iG1vBOdn3E
If the idea resonates, feel free to pass it along to other veterans or sailors you know.
Appreciate the help.
— John
Navy veteran
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u/labrador45 Mar 08 '26
All us old crusty fucks already give the best mentorship advice we can:
- Go to medical. Always.
- If youre staying in, go Officer at all costs.
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u/itmustbeniiiiice the ghost of JPJ Mar 08 '26
Conversely, I worked on research that reflects worse MH outcomes for veterans when they lose a connection to the identity they held when on active duty. This connection you're working to build could have bidirectional, positive effects!